The rhododendrons are very generous with their gifts of beautiful flowers.

If we only needed one good reason to have Canada’s Garden Day it would be to reintroduce communities to the value of nature and the importance gardens, being outside or with your hands in soil, and how a regular connection with plants helps humans thrive.

This year the Halifax Public Garden will join Butchart Garden in British Columbia, Assiniboine Park in Manitoba, Toronto Botanical Garden, Newfoundland Botanical Garden in St. John’s Newfoundland in a day long festival of plants, people and places.

Come on down to the Halifax Public Garden on June 14th and help us at the Halifax Public Garden to celebrate Canada’s garden culture. In my opinion Maritimers love to garden and it will be a chance to talk about gardening with folks who work at the Halifax Public Garden. We have invited a few local characters along to add some pizzaz. Let’s talk about what you might plan to do next year to celebrate Canada’s Garden Day.

We have asked our long time friend, Neville MacKay of My Mother’s Bloomers, to be our host for a very special event on Garden day. At his mercy will be 4 mystery gardeners creating their own plant installation in the Halifax Public Garden. These 4 creations will be left for the whole summer in the garden and we want you to then vote for your favorite creation. The winner will receive some very special Halifax Public Garden swag.

Look out mystery designers, Neville will be watching!

We will be hoping for local photography buffs to record and share the seasons progress of the plant creations. Look for all of the details on www.halifax.ca.

You may have just heard about our cactus bed on CBC morning show. It’s very interesting.

This is a really nice property at the beginning of one of Halifax’s great strolls. Strolling is something that was good for Victorians is also good for us.

I always take great pleasure in walking around place where I live and those that I visit.

This turreted mansion was to be the home of George Wright. Mr. Wright was a successful Victorian era businessman from Halifax making his living as a humble publisher of the World Business Directory. The first and only such directory of its kind at the time.

George Wright was a millionaire by the time he was 30 and to make ready for the next stage of his life, a family, he built this home.

And as many successful Victorian elite, at trip to the continent was a must. Upon concluding his business in Europe, George Wright quickly booked passage home to Nova Scotia on boarded the Titanic. The story goes that he was not seen on board the ship as he was a quiet individual, but it has been recorded that he bought a ticket and boarded. George Wright was never found or identified amoung those who lost their lives.

He had made a posthumous gift of his new home to the Local Council of Women Halifax Chapter. The Local Council of Women helped improve the lives of working women and children, pressed for legislation to allow women to vote and be recognized as Canadian citizens in their own right.

They continue to utilize the property for the benefit of the Council, and therefore the benefit of women and children throughout Canada.

I will be leading a tour at the Public Garden showcasing the Rhododendron Collection and hosting a luncheon at this historic property May 3oth and 31st. If you are interested in joining the tour and luncheon, email me through my blog and I will be happy to include you in the tour. Tickets will be $50 for the day. The tour will start at 10:30 am at the main gates of the Public Garden on both dates. Lunch will be at noon in the Local Council House and will be a catered tea and with cucumber and watercress sandwiches, tomato and roast red bell pepper soup, and delicious pies for dessert. More details will be forth coming.

Please keep an eye out if you are coming to Halifax. For example I know Quilts Canada is here in the city May 29th to June 2nd 2012.